Device for stretching a plurality of fabric pieces on a fabric holding frame



May 11, 1965 L. BONO 3,182,412

DEVICE FOR STRETCHING A PLURALITY 0F FABRIC PIECES ON A FABRIC HOLDING FRAME Filed March 21, 1963 2 h ts-Sheet 1 FIG. 7

as 24 35 28 25 I9 26 32 33 INVENT OR Byofw mm wdb ATTORNEYS May 11, 1965 Filed March 21, 1965 L. BONO 3,182,412 DEVICE FOR STRETCHING A PLURALITY OF-FABRIC PIECES ON A FABRIC HOLDING FRAME 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Lil/67 5011/0 ATTORNEYS United States Patent DEVICE FOR STRETiIHING A PLURALITY 0F FABRIC PIECES ON A FABRIC HOLDING FRAME Luigi Bono, Pavia, Italy, assignor to Necchi Societa per Azioni, Pavia, Italy Filed Mar. 21, 1963, Ser. No. 266,996 Claims priority, application Italy, Apr. 10, 1962, Patent 672,955 6 Claims. (Cl. 38-1021) This invention relates in general to new and useful improvements in sewing machine attachments, and more particularly to a device for stretching a plurality of fabric pieces disposed in overlapping relation when a fabric holding frame which is to be mounted in a sewing machine for controlled movement to provide for the controlled sewing of the fabric pieces.

There have been devised sewing machines wherein there is associated with the sewing machine a fabric shifting member which afiix a controlled sewing by the sewing machine of a predetermined pattern. The fabric shifting member is provided with a removable fabric holding frame in which one or more pieces of fabric may be readily clamped.

It is the primary object of this invention to provide a novel device for stretching a plurality of fabric pieces in aligned overlapping relation in a manner wherein the fabric pieces, when so aligned and stretched, may be readily transferred to a fabric holding frame of the type described above.

This invention particularly relates to a device for stretching a plurality of fabric pieces which, for example, may be the fabric pieces of a shirt collar, which pieces must be accurately aligned and must be sewed following a predetermined pattern. A typical shirt collar includes three pieces of which one piece does not require any particular preparation, one piece is provided with pockets for the customary collar stretchers, and the third piece is formed of an indeformable fabric. In the forming of a collar, after the controlled pattern has been sewn through the fabric pieces, the fabric pieces of the collar are cut along the outline of the sewing and then are turned in such way that the indeformable fabric piece is in between the other two pieces. Then a second sewing is executed all along the collar outline.

In order that the collar may be formed without wrinkles and then may be turned over, as required, the indeformable fabric must be rounded off at the corners in order that the first sewing may be very near the edges of the fabric, particularly that portion which corresponds to the collar points. This requires an accurate positioning of the indeformable fabric piece. In turn, the fabric on the pockets for the collar stretchers have been previously sewn must be perfectly centered with respect to the indeformable fabric in order that the pockets themselves be equally positioned and in a correct position with respect to the collar point. It is therefore obvious that the three fabric pieces must be arranged in the fabric holding frame in a well determined position and that during the clamping of the fabric pieces by the fabric holding frame, there must not be any sliding of the fabric pieces relative to one another.

In accordance with this invention, there is provided a device for stretching and positioning the fabric pieces, which device includes a base having means thereon for aligning a fabric holding frame which is to receive the fabric pieces, the base being provided with suitable guides for effecting the alignment of the fabric pieces, and including a pair of hingedly mounted clamp plates which initially are opened to a flat condition whereby the fabric pieces may be disposed in alignment overlying one of ice the clamp plates, after which the other of the clamp plates may be swung into overlying relation with respect to the fabric pieces in the first clamp plate and latched thereto to form a book, which book may be swung to a position aligned with the fabric holding frame and the fabric, which is securely held between the clamp plates, transferred to the fabric holding frame without any relative shifting of the fabric pieces.

With the above and other objects in view that will hereinafter appear, the nature of the invention will be more clearly understood by a reference to the following detailed description, the appended claims and the several views illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a typical sewing machine having a fabric holding frame which is shiftable relative to the sewing machine to eifect a controlled sewing.

FIGURE 1A is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view showing the specific details of a clamp portion of the fabric holding frame.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged perspective view showing the three fabric pieces required in the sewing of a collar.

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of the device for aligning and stretching the fabric pieces, the device being shown in a fabric receiving position.

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view similar to FIGURE 3 and shows the fabric pieces positioned in the device and about to be clamped between the clamp plate thereof, there also being shown in position for receiving the fabric pieces, the fabric holding frame.

FIGURE 5 is another perspective view of the device of FIGURE 3 wherein the clamped fabric pieces have been positioned within and clamped in the fabric holding frame.

FIGURE 5A is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view showing the clamp mechanism of the fabric holding frame in the fabric clamping position of FIGURE 5.

FIGURE 6 is a vertical sectional view taken generally along the section line VI-VI of FIGURE 3 and shows more specifically the details of the fabric aligning and stretching device.

FIGURE 7 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken generally along the line VIIVII of FIGURE 6 and shows further the details of the fabric positioning and stretching device.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, it will be seen that there is illustrated in FIGURE 1 a conventional sewing machine 1 which is set on a fixed support 2 and is provided with a fabric holding frame 3 that is mounted for movement on the support 2 along a predetermined path. The movement of the fabric holding frame 3 is controlled by a sewing patterning device 4 to which the fabric holding frame 3 is releasably secured. The sewing patterning device 4 is automatically driven by mechanism of the sewing machine 1 in a conventional manner and will not be described further here.

The fabric holding frame 3 includes an elongated rod 6 having two holes 5 (FIGURE 4) therein. The fabric holding frame 3 is Ireleasabiy secured to the sewing patterning device 4 by passing two pins 7 of the sewing patterning device 4 through the holes 5. A slide 8, which is pivotally mounted on the middle portion of the sewing patterning device 4 engages the rod 6 between the pins 7 to hold the rod 6 down on the pins 7.

The fabric holding frame 3 includes a pair of sleeves 10 which are slidable along the rod 6 and are secured in fixed positions to the rod 6 by means of screws 9. Each sleeve 10 carries a fabric retaining clamp 11. With particular reference to FIGURE 1A, it will be seen that each fabric retaining clamp 11 is formed of a pair of nested angle members 12 which combine to define a U-shaped groove 13 which faces downwardly in the sewing position of the fabric holding frame 3. An elongated clamp rod 14 is hingedly mounted for swinging into and out of the U-shaped groove 13 so as to cooperate with the angle members 12 to clamp fabric into the groove 13 with the fabric being stretched as the rod 14 moves into the groove 13. Spring latches 15 are disposed at the free ends of the rods 14 to hold the rods 13 in the fabric clamping positions.

It is tobe understood that the fabric stretch between the clamps 11 of the fabric holding frame 3 must be as near as possible to the working plane 16 of the sewing machine 1. Consequently, when the fabric holding frame 3 is fastened to the sewing patterning device 4, the clamps 11 are set in such a way that the U-shaped grooves 13 thereof open downwardly, as described above. Thus fabric clamped 'by the fabric retaining clamps 11 must pass beneath the innermost angle members and up into the associated grooves 13.

Reference is now made to FIGURE 2 wherein there are illustrated the fabric pieces required in the forming of a shirt collar. A. collar is formed of three generally rectangular fabric pieces a, b, 0. These three fabric pieces must be clamped within the fabric holding frame 3 in alignment and without slippage. Of the three fabric pieces, the fabric piece a does not require any special preparation. On the other hand, on the fabric piece b there are ptreviouslysewn pockets d to receive conventional collar stretchers, which are not illustrated. These pockets of must be in a correct position withrespect to the sewing x which is automatically accomplished by the sewing machine 1 through the controlled movement of the fabric hold-ing frame 3. When propertly sewn, the

pockets d must be equally spaced relative to the center.

of the collar and similarly set with respect to the corner points of the sewing x.

Finally, the fabric piece of indeformable fabric must be positioned so that the edges e thereof align with the point y of the sewing x in the-manner clearly illustrated in FIGURE 2. When the three fabric piece a, b and c are aligned in the manner shown in FIGURE 2 and clamped within the fabric holding frame 3 in this aligned relationship, the fabric pieces are ready to be sewn by the sewing machine 1.

In accordance with this invention, the fabric pieces a, b and c are aligned and clamped for transfer to the fabric holding frame 3 in an aligning device, generally referred to by the numeral 17, and best illustrated in grooves 22 formed on the underside of the plates 19 I and engaging a fixed guide 23 extending transversely across the table 18, as i best shown in FIGURE 7.

At the ends of the guide 23 there is rigidly secured to the table 18 two upstanding supports 24 of a hinge 24. The binge 24' has secured thereto two small clamp boards 25 and 26 which combine to define what may be considered a book 27.

When the book 27 is in its open position, asis shown in FIGURE 3, the two clamp boards 25 and 26 rest on the guide plates 19 and are seated the area defined by the edges 21 of the guide plates 19. The clamp boards 25 and 26 are preferably covered by a rubber coating or other friction material so as to lock fabric pieces clamped therebetween against relative movement. The clamp boards 25 and 26 of the book 27 areheld in clamped relation by means of a resilient latch 28 which is fixed on the clamp board ,25 and is engageable over the edge 29 of the clamp board 26.

The edges 21 of the guide plates 19 are provided in their outer portions and generally in alignment with the clamp board 26 with recesses 36 generally defined in part by vertical walls 31. The fabric holding frame 3 is mounted on the table-18 in alignment with the guide plates 19. This is accomplished by providing the rod 6 with a central hole 34 which is adapted to receive an upstanding pin 35 centrally locatedon the table 18. A fabric holding frame aligning square 32 is mounted in each of the recesses 30 and abuts against the vertical wall 31 thereof. Each square 32 has a vertical end wall 33 against which the rod 6 abuts. When the fabric holding frame 3 is in position-on the table 18, the clamps 11 thereof are disposed in the recesses and along the vertical walls 31- with the clamps 11 resting on the aligning square 32. It is to be noted in FIGURE, 5A that thegrooves 13 of the clamps are upwardly facing at this time. v.

The edges 21 of the guide plates 19 have corners 37 disposed adjacent the position normally occupied by the clamp boards 25. To' these corners 37 there are secured small angle. members 38 which are utilized in aligning the fabric pieces a, b and 0.

Operation In utilizing the, fabric aligning device 17, the book 27 must be in its open p ositon of FIGURE 3. Also, the guide plates 19 must be adjusted tothe measurement of the collar to be sewn. .The, fabric holding frame 3 is positioned on the table 18 and the rods '14 thereof are swung to open positions, as .is shown in FIGURE 4. The fabric pieces a, b and c are then positioned on the device 17 in overlying relationto the clampboard' 25 with the fabric pieces being aligned by means of the angle members 38, as is shown in FIGURE 4. The clamp board 26 is then swung into overlying'relation with respect to the clamp boa-rd 25 with the fabric pieces being clamped within the book 2'7. While the boards25 and 26 are tightly clamped together by means of the latch 28, the entire book is then swung to the posit on illustrated in FIGURE 5 wherein the edges of the fabric pieces overlie portions of the clamps 11 on the fabric holding frame 3. The rods 14 are then swung back into the grooves 13 of the clamps 11 with the result that the edges of the fabric pieces protruding outwardly of the book 27 are stretched on without slidingof the fabric pieces due to the frictional engagement of the clamp boards 25 and 26 with the fabric pieces. Once thefabric pieces have been clamped in the fabric holding frame 3, the latch 28 is released, and the clamp board 25 is swung back to its initial position of FIGURE 3. The fabric holding frame 3, with the fabric pieces securely clamped'therein, is then lifted off from the base 18 and positioned relative to the sewing machine 1, after which the sewing x is automatically executed.

Although a preferred embodiment of the invention has been specifically illustrated and described herein, it is to be understood that minor modifications maybe made in the invention within the spirit and scope thereof, as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A device for loading a fabric holding frame with stretched fabric pieces, said device comprising a base, a pair of spaced guides seated on said base, means at first ends of said guides for positioning the fabric holding frame, means at second endsof said guides for aligning the fabric pieces, pivot means carried by said base intermediate said guide ends and clamp plates pivoted on said pivot means between positions overlying said guide ends whereby fabric may be first clamped between said clam-p plates while engaged by said fabric aligning means and then pivoted to a position overlying said guides first ends for clamping by the fabric holdingframe:

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said guides are recessed at said guides first ends as compared to said second ends whereby fabric transferred from said guides second ends is clamped by the fabric holding frame.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein said means for positioning the fabric holding fname includes supports seated on said base and seated in said recessed guides first ends.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein said base has a transverse guide bar, said guides have recessed under surfaces receiving said guide bar, and said guides being s lidable on said base and said guide bar for adjusting the spacing of said guides.

5. The device of claim 1 together with a latch carried by one of said clamp plates for locking the two clamp plates together.

6. The device of claim 1 together with a central reference pin carried by said base for engaging and centering the fabric holding frame.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS FRANK B. SHERRY, Primary Examiner. 

1. A DEVICE FOR LOADING A FABRIC HOLDING FRAME WITH STRETCHED FABRIC PIECES, SAID DEVICE COMPRISING A BASE, A PAIR OF SPACED GUIDES SEATED ON SAID BASE, MEANS AT FIRST ENDS OF SAID GUIDES FOR POSITIONING THE FABRIC HOLDING FRAME, MEANS AT SECOND ENDS OF SAID GUIDES FOR ALIGNING THE FABRIC PIECES, PIVOT MEANS CARRIED BY SAID BASE INTERMEDIATE SAID GUIDE ENDS AND CLAMP PLATES PIVOTED ON SAID PIVOT MEANS BETWEEN POSITIONS OVERLYING SAID GUIDE ENDS WHEREBY FABRIC MAY BE FIRST CLAMPED BETWEEN SAID CLAMP PLATES WHILE ENGAGED BY SAID FABRIC ALIGNING MEANS AND THEN PIVOTED TO A POSITION OVERLYING SAID GUIDES FIRST 